Speed...

[ching_ching]

Hi folks,

I would like to know what your opinions are on speed with our sickles.

With the advent of a lower speed limit, would owning a sportsbike actually be worth it? I've heard, "course it's worth it just use it on the track". Personally I don't want to spend all my money just to use it on the track on weekends, I want to use it on the road. Or, "just cruise with it" or "change over to cruising". As we all know, sportsbikes seem to idle at 140kph or thereabouts and a lot of the time I like / hit the twisties. I'm not trying to justify my opinion on going fast (I like going fast, WHEN practical) neither am I trying to find a general consensus amongst you all that post, that will find me a member of a majority that allows me to speed. Just interested what your opinions are and your reasons.

Thank you ta.

The chingster

[duckman]

Yea - tricky one, These days the sport bikes are getting bigger and faster. I can't really see the point in owning a bike that could do more 200 kmh but then the same could be said about V8 cars and turbo'd boy racer cages.

Going fast is fun - I think most would agree with that. These statements always require the mandatory... but only when it's safe..blah blah blah.

These days I tend to cruise the open road at about 120 and have short bursts of "waaaahoooo" when I think it's appropriate.

Some people ould find that tame and other might think it's irresponsible :bleh:

I'd just say, ride within your ability. :D

[riffer]

Can't say I speak for the majority, but most of the time if I feel comfortable and safe and the taxation officers :Police: aren't around, I'll ride a bit above the limit.

I'm not stupid about it, but I'm not going to stick to some arbitrarily imposed national limit if the conditions dictate I can go faster safer.

So changing the speed limit isn't going to make me stop speeding, if that's your question.

Of course, another 35 more demerits might...

[riffer]

Yea - tricky one, These days the sport bikes are getting bigger and faster. I can't really see the point in owning a bike that could do more 200 kmh but then the same could be said about V8 cars and turbo'd boy racer cages.
When I was a teenager (20+ years ago) there was a lot of talk about the hundred horsepower limit. I remember my dad had a GS550, then a GT750, and him lecturing me about how the 750 was so fast I wasn't allowed to ride it - I was allowed the KZ400 to go for rides with him.

Anyway, the concensus of opinion back then was that 100hp was the maximum you ever needed, and if you bike could do the ton then that was fast.

Jeez, now even my 17 year old bike can do ton and a half (imperial) and todays bikes are topping out (gentleman's agreement) at 300kph. Double ton will be the next barrier to be broken.

I say bring it on. You don't have to ride that fast, and if you do you'll probably get either snapped or killed or scare yourself silly.

However you can never have too much power.

I understand the boy racer thing. I have had (in this order) a Valiant Regal 770 308ci V8, Holden Commodore VH SS 4.2, Mitsubishi Galant VR4 4WD turbo, Nissan Skyline R32 GTS-T, and a Subaru Legacy GT-B.

[MikeL]

Interesting (subconscious?) equating of "speed limit" with "loss of licence threshhold" - I know I sometimes find myself thinking that way too.
Dangerous tendency!

[Motu]

Speed has never interested me - you could count the number of times I've been over the magic ''ton'' (160kph) in 34 yrs on all my digits - but speed in corners interests me very much.I like just enough power - I'd rather push a bike to it's limits than hold back with something that's got too much power for the conditions.Everything for me happens below 120kph...I am very happy riding like this,pushing my personal envelope rather than others.

[Jackrat]

I like fast,But it is a matter of what is fast to any given person.
It very much depends on the bike and rider.
My current bike is fast at 140kms, Yet my SD900 was just coming on song at 160km.I try to behave myself on the open road but on back roads I like to give it heaps.Basicly I just ride to the conditions at the time.
I've only ever gone over 200kms once and that was plenty for me,I was coming across the Huaraki plains out of Matamata on my GS850G when I decided to see what she could do.At 220km I realised I was only recognising the road signs after I had passed them,This ment if a cow walked out onto the road I would never even know what had killed me.
Iv,e always had a bit of a problem controlling the old throttle hand,But hey I'm a bikie,thats just the way it is.
As to the law,Well I guess thats something to think about.

PS, I don't even know what the top speed of my current ride would be and ain't interested to know.Things change with time huh!!

[wkid_one]

However you can never have too much power. Gotta disagree with that - there comes a point where the power to weight ratio oversteps the ability of both rider and chassis to control.

Actually - the whole speeding thing was one of the reasons behind why I decided to give it a miss on the road (among others).....the R1 was a menace on the road because it didn't want to stay below the speed limit.

I barely used 6th on the VTR because when I did, it always wanted to cruise at 150-160kph.......this is how I got my infamous '129kph on a bicycle' ticket.

However - it was corners that did it for me rather than straight lines - but I tended to hoon down the straights to get to the corners quicker.

I disagree with the 'going fast is fun' thing - as what is fun about pulling 250kph down a straight bit of road? I can't see anything entertaining about it, other than I get to the next windies a hell of a lot quicker.

I have been to an indicated 299 on the speedo....in a straight line it is boring (and stupid)

[duckman]

I like fast,But it is a matter of what is fast to any given person.
It very much depends on the bike and rider.
My current bike is fast at 140kms, Yet my SD900 was just coming on song at 160km.I try to behave myself on the open road but on back roads I like to give it heaps.Basicly I just ride to the conditions at the time.
I've only ever gone over 200kms once and that was plenty for me,I was coming across the Huaraki plains out of Matamata on my GS850G when I decided to see what she could do.At 220km I realised I was only recognising the road signs after I had passed them,This ment if a cow walked out onto the road I would never even know what had killed me.
Iv,e always had a bit of a problem controlling the old throttle hand,But hey I'm a bikie,thats just the way it is.
As to the law,Well I guess thats something to think about.

Yea ditto - I've done 200kmh once - Just to see what it was like. (Windy and noisey) I think cornering fast and smoothly holds more enjoyment. :cool:

[Grumpy]

When I decided it was time to look for a new bike I asked myself the same question. I was riding a TL at the time and the thing only started to get comfortable at 140 Km plus

I settled on a GSX 1400. It'll still do 230 Km's but now I can sit on 120Km's without feeling like I'm doing press up's.

I guess my point is that you don't need a sportbike to get yourself offside with the law these days. They are all so damn fast.

Ride whatever rings your bells. You just have have to do it a little more carefully these days.

[gpercivl]

I'm in mid 40's and have kids, job, etc... which impacted on me getting out on the bike to the extent that the old FZR750R just sat in the shed with the battery going flat. To keep my motorcycling alive I took up road racing.

I had been riding since 18 and had a serious 'need for speed' component in my brain, so quite often I used to have my old XJ-750 (with 820cc Yoshi kit) maxed out at 225kph with mates going past on Z1R's, CB1000's etc back in those days...i use to catch 'em back up in the corners :)

Well road racing cured that 'need for speed' on public roads...I just can't see much point in doing more than 110kph (except for overtaking) these days when the 600 will almost do 160kph in 1st gear at Pukekohe. It max's out at 270 which was quite adrenalin inducing the first few times...but that's worn off now too.

Now the excitement for me is in improving my lap times thru cornering better and passing guys/gals that use to beat me.

So if the ticket speed limit comes down by another 5kph, I'll just adjust my cruise control and get there later.

[Big Dog]

The funny thing is I went faster on my 250's than I have ever been on my 1100 but I still get there quicker now. To me power was never about travelling at 200kmph but how fast you got there.

I had my last 250 over 200 several times but now 7-8 years on I am on a bike that in the right hands will get up to 260+ and I have only ever been up to 170. As a older more mature me i reckon anything over 120 needs to be kept to places like the hauraki plains and anything over 150 belongs on the track.

Having said that I reckon there should be several levels of license / registration. ie someone with a A6 class lic and a Areg (140hp less than 5 years old)bike could do 200kmph on stretch's marked as open road but people on Breg can only do 170 (140 hp but older than 5 years).

I reckon this because people will speed anyway but if you make allowances for proven skill or equipment then it will be done mostly by people with the right tool for the job.

I reckon if the speed limit was raised to 150 but cars that could not safely travel at that speed were no longer importable / wofable then ther would be no appreciable increase in accidents as everyone would be travelling at the same speed and would need to prove they could safely to get off their restricted.

I reckon all of this because the 100kmph speed limit is based on the standard of car and roading in the 50-60's and a lot has changed since then.

[riffer]

...the old FZR750R just sat in the shed
was that a GENUINE FZR750R i.e. an OWO1?

I never realised there were any of those in the country.

I just have to be happy with a boggo FZR750...

[Ms Piggy]

With the advent of a lower speed limit,

Hey Ching ching...did I miss something? Has there been some talk about lowering the speed limit? :scooter: Sorry if I'm bit behind the times :confused:

[Big Dog]

Hey Ching ching...did I miss something? Has there been some talk about lowering the speed limit? :scooter: Sorry if I'm bit behind the times :confused:

Last I heard the do gooders wanted to drop motorway spped limits to 80kmph, but that has been a topic of discussion for two years now.

For a similar timeframe it has been dicussed to drop to 90kmph at the open road.

Imagine the expense 500,000 odd signs at $50 each. Mind you this would only take a day or too to recover of all the extra speed camera fines.
:puke:

[Ms Piggy]

Last I heard the do gooders wanted to drop motorway spped limits to 80kmph, but that has been a topic of discussion for two years now.

For a similar timeframe it has been dicussed to drop to 90kmph at the open road.

Imagine the expense 500,000 odd signs at $50 each. Mind you this would only take a day or too to recover of all the extra speed camera fines.
:puke:

:shit: OH no!!! God nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!

[madandy]

Thats just bloody rediculous! :brick:

I tend to :ride: at 110-130 depnding on conditions...at those speeds you dont need to accellerate much to overtake cars, provided they drive to the left and/or the road is clear ahead...I dont mind 100km/h in heavy traffic provided it's smooth, consistant flow...I hate those Deisels [not trucks, I dont mind trucks] who wind up for hills then crawl up them or the ditherers who brake in the MIDDLE of corners just as I'm about to accellerate :crazy: it makes me want to speed past them to find a smoother driver/group of drivers to follow-it's driver's 'cause there's so damn many cars!

[MD]

Sounds like we all share the same hassle, how to enjoy a fast bike?
Road Revenue Officers are the worry for me. Takes the shine off the buzz but also makes it more rewarding to get away with it. Luckily the thrill of cornering never fades and they haven't outlawed that yet.
Don't give in to the Bureaucraps Guys

[LB]

Sounds like we all share the same hassle, how to enjoy a fast bike?
Road Revenue Officers are the worry for me. Takes the shine off the buzz but also makes it more rewarding to get away with it. Luckily the thrill of cornering never fades and they haven't outlawed that yet.
Don't give in to the Bureaucraps Guys
Mark: did you see Dion's piccie in the paper this morning? Doing a burnout on the 999 advertising the thingy at the Stadium next weekend. It was a great photo.

[Lou Girardin]

In the old days, pre stalkers, lasers etc. I'd cruise at 140-160, but now I need my licence. I think something like a Bandit or Fazer1000 would suit me fine. Still, unlike cars, we get to 'go tojail' speeds far quicker and slow equally quickly. Hopefully, befire the IRD sees us.
Lou

[Wonko]

I ride like I drive my cage, the limit +10 plus the odd blast into the "instant loss of licence" speed, but only when the conditions are good for it.

Just hope I don't get 2 tickets in the first 3 months on this bike like I did when I got the integra. The gpz gets up to 80 too easily off the lights.

[jimbo600]

The speed limit will never drop to 80 or 90kmh. The backlash would do too much harm to the government, especially with the current public opinion in regard to traffic policing.These days everyone of the belief that cops are either rvrnue gatherers or rapists.

[Zed]

Hi folks,

I would like to know what your opinions are on speed with our sickles.

With the advent of a lower speed limit, would owning a sportsbike actually be worth it? I've heard, "course it's worth it just use it on the track". Personally I don't want to spend all my money just to use it on the track on weekends, I want to use it on the road. Or, "just cruise with it" or "change over to cruising". As we all know, sportsbikes seem to idle at 140kph or thereabouts and a lot of the time I like / hit the twisties. I'm not trying to justify my opinion on going fast (I like going fast, WHEN practical) neither am I trying to find a general consensus amongst you all that post, that will find me a member of a majority that allows me to speed. Just interested what your opinions are and your reasons.

Thank you ta.

The chingster
Recently I rode my zx-6r from Wellington to Auckland and my average speed was 110kms. During the entire journey I passed 15 police cars. :sneaky2:

Aside from the top speeds that a motorcycle is capable of, I get real satisfaction in the acceleration of the machine! To be able to manoeuvre the bike very quickly within a short amount of time, especially when passing other vehicles, is one of the highlights of my riding.

In saying that, I conclude that one can ride a bike with "speed" and yet not necessarily break the law of the land!


Zed

[ching_ching]

Hey Ching ching...did I miss something? Has there been some talk about lowering the speed limit? :scooter: Sorry if I'm bit behind the times :confused:

Actually it's something I've seen posted on here in various threads. I honestly don't know whether it will be or not. Haven't looked into confirming it.

ching

[gpercivl]

[QUOTE=gpercivl]...the old FZR750R just sat in the shedQUOTE]

was that a GENUINE FZR750R i.e. an OWO1?

I never realised there were any of those in the country.

I just have to be happy with a boggo FZR750...


According to the frame number and Yamaha it was a FZR750R but not an OWO1, it was a Jap import so the specs are different...wasn't particularly quick...back straight at Puke it was flat out at a true 225kph in bog stock trim (mirrors, indicators, std exhaust etc.).

There was a guy racing a genuine OWO1 at the Nationals in 1999, and of course Aaron Slight use to race one here in late 80's.

[gpercivl]

Actually it's something I've seen posted on here in various threads. I honestly don't know whether it will be or not. Haven't looked into confirming it.

ching
The talk was on lowering the 10kph 'grace' over the speed limit to only 5kph like it is in Victoria...at present you can do 110kph in a 100kph zone here without getting a ticket (although one policeman waved his finger at me the other day as I drove past smiling at 109 on cruise control). In Victoria I picked up a $A120 fine doing 106kph in a 100 zone a couple of years ago....

Contentious point is that in our WOF checks the speedo only has to be accurate to +/- 10%...so that may be a loop hole if it drops to 5kph over.

[Coldkiwi]

Actually it's something I've seen posted on here in various threads. I honestly don't know whether it will be or not. Haven't looked into confirming it.

ching

better bloody not!!

btw, NICE BIKE : :msn-wink:

[onearmedbandit]

The talk was on lowering the 10kph 'grace' over the speed limit to only 5kph like it is in Victoria...at present you can do 110kph in a 100kph zone here without getting a ticket (although one policeman waved his finger at me the other day as I drove past smiling at 109 on cruise control). In Victoria I picked up a $A120 fine doing 106kph in a 100 zone a couple of years ago....

Contentious point is that in our WOF checks the speedo only has to be accurate to +/- 10%...so that may be a loop hole if it drops to 5kph over.

Unless you've had it calibrated, don't trust any standard speedo, they are well-known to be optomistic. In fact most bikes are up sometimes 10%, the Italians tend to be more accurate. (This is from magazine tests I've read)

[onearmedbandit]

How do they test the speedo in a WOF? My brother owns a garage, never heard of him talking about it. Also, I'm in car sales, see at least 1-2 cars get a new warrant every day, but never noticed a speedo check on the checklist. I may just be blind. But I'd like to know how they do the test, if they do? Shit, I'm confused.

[Kickaha]

How do they test the speedo in a WOF? My brother owns a garage, never heard of him talking about it. Also, I'm in car sales, see at least 1-2 cars get a new warrant every day, but never noticed a speedo check on the checklist. I may just be blind. But I'd like to know how they do the test, if they do? Shit, I'm confused.

They only test to make sure it works not that its accurate.

[onearmedbandit]

Thought as much. They have no eqiupment to test for accuracy.

[riffer]

Thought as much. They have no eqiupment to test for accuracy.

I'm sure a number of places will. I tried to get off a ticket one time I'd got in my Mitsi VR4 which I new had a dodgy speedo (read slow).

I took it to the Shell on Railway Ave, just around the corner from Jackson St.

Got a full printout from their rolling road. Unfortunately, while the police agreed that I was in fact doing 100 km/h according to my speedo, it was absolutely no defence against a 120 km/h ticket...

Anyway, moral of the story. If you have to have your speedo checked, there are placed you can do it...

[PeteThePom]

Oh hells tits!!

I've moved to a country where it's almost impossible to ride fast without getting nicked??!!!

It's a very different attittude to speeding here than in the UK(and I'm not F@#%in whinging ok? just commenting)

I used to cruise at around 95mph(so about 150kph) and that was average for the group that I used to ride with and you just had to be plain unlucky or not paying attention to get nicked for speeding. Is it really that bad over here?

Getting back on topic about speed. I do have a need for speed and I do adhere to the principal that speed does not kill, it's harsh deceleration that kills! That doesn't mean that I hoon around like a lunatic but does mean this, around town I stick pretty much to the speed limits, there are kids in town who dont always look before hurling themselves in front of you to retrieve their football(I have a daughter of my own) and hanging around the speed limit gives me the extra space I MAY need to stop before braining them with my headlight. But on the open road when the conditions permit, then I will have a thrash on the basis that I don't think speed is bad, excessive speed is dangerous but lets face it, on a bike if it all goes Pete Tong then you the rider will bear the brunt of the ill fortune, possibly terminally so and it's a risk that the individual assesses to their own built in 'risk meter'. Unlike a car of course where if it all goes tits up you'll probably walk away with a few minor cuts and bruises meanwhile leaving a bag of skin on the road for the paramedics to scrape up who happend to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and poor lil driver will probably get a measly £600 fine and lose lisence for a few months on the basis that they've been terribly traumatised by their ordeal, yeah fukken right they have.......................................erm, I appear to be :angry2: , oh well, thats the way it is in the UK, esp if 'poor widdle car driver' happens to take out a dirty chicken raping virgin head biting offing oily scumbag passed me in the traffic the @%$&*?!, biker!

[Zed]

I've moved to a country where it's almost impossible to ride fast without getting nicked??!!!

It's a very different attittude to speeding here than in the UK(and I'm not F@#%in whinging ok? just commenting)

I used to cruise at around 95mph(so about 150kph) and that was average for the group that I used to ride with and you just had to be plain unlucky or not paying attention to get nicked for speeding. Is it really that bad over here?
There definately has been an increase in the amount of coppers out on the open roads of late...but 2 of us went for a 4 hour blat from Auckland to Pauanui & back today, travelling at the speeds+ you mentioned, without any legal difficulties. It does help when you don't use all of the main highways though! :niceone:

So stop your whinging Pete!! :msn-wink:


Zed

[MikeL]

Oh hells tits!!

I've moved to a country where it's almost impossible to ride fast without getting nicked??!!!

It's a very different attittude to speeding here than in the UK(and I'm not F@#%in whinging ok? just commenting)

I used to cruise at around 95mph(so about 150kph) and that was average for the group that I used to ride with and you just had to be plain unlucky or not paying attention to get nicked for speeding. Is it really that bad over here?



Come on one of the KBer rides, Pete, and then you'll be in a better position to judge. I don't think the situation is very different here from the U.K. Of course if you do 150 between the Bombays and Hamilton, you'll probably get nicked, but there are plenty of roads where the HP guys are very few and far between, and you'd have to be damned unlucky to get caught.

[PeteThePom]

Come on one of the KBer rides, Pete, and then you'll be in a better position to judge. I don't think the situation is very different here from the U.K. Of course if you do 150 between the Bombays and Hamilton, you'll probably get nicked, but there are plenty of roads where the HP guys are very few and far between, and you'd have to be damned unlucky to get caught.
Well I'll jus have to do that.
And invest in a radar detector!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Zed]

Well I'll jus have to do that.
And invest in a radar detector!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah...we had a detector with us today, it went off twice! There were several unmarked patrol cars out there. :angry:


Zed

[fpsware]

I took a small ride from Tauranga to Napier, and back to Tauranga (650Km round trip, 9 hours) and I saw 2 cops the whole time. One was in Taupo city and the other was in Rotorua (give a biker a ticket) - none on the open roads.

[MikeL]

And I 've done the Napier Taupo road a few times and never seen a single cop (although admittedly not at the height of the holiday season.) And when you start thinking about those South Island roads...

[MikeL]

Come to think of it, there must be statistics showing how many cops are deployed on HP in any given region. A little bit of mathematics combined with some elementary insight into the psychology of PC Plod and his marginally more intelligent superiors (scarcely rocket science) should quantify the risk fairly precisely. This looks like a job for Physics Boy, or at least someone other than yours truly who managed an unspectacular 55% in School Certificate Mathematics.
(I still don't understand logs...)

[onearmedbandit]

Police, those people on TV arresting bad people? Don't see to much of them down here...

[Firefight]

Come to think of it, there must be statistics showing how many cops are deployed on HP in any given region. A little bit of mathematics combined with some elementary insight into the psychology of PC Plod and his marginally more intelligent superiors (scarcely rocket science) should quantify the risk fairly precisely. This looks like a job for Physics Boy, or at least someone other than yours truly who managed an unspectacular 55% in School Certificate Mathematics.
(I still don't understand logs...)


Logs are easy Mike, thats what you get when you cut trees down :Pokey:

Firefight <_< <_<

[Lou Girardin]

Many of the rolling road brake testers will give a speed reading at WOF stations. Or check your speed against one of the cops radar trailers.
The cops aren't entirely stupid either, they know that nearly all speedos on standard vehicles read fast.

[DEATH_INC.]

I've had 330kph (you know you're moving at this speed,those who've done it know)on the speedo of of the ZX12 a few times and 250kph on the rear wheel a couple......the gixx I've only ever seen 270.....
We ride at about 160-180k often,but of course always on the backroads.
What really ticks me off is I've only got 20 pts left on my licence,all of these tickets were in 50k zones,doing about 65k's(on the 12)& all when the roads were quiet (the last was 6am in wellsford).Even the last cop to pull me up said 'yeh I know,a couple of years ago I wouldn't have even stopped you,but now.....)

[SPman]

:Offtopic:
was that a GENUINE FZR750R i.e. an OWO1?

I never realised there were any of those in the country.

.
New Plymouth Motorcycles had one for sale in 97 - done about 12000 k's and wanted $13000 for it.I used to go in and go Brm Brm on it and talk to Shawn Harris ....but couldnt afford it at the time so I also, had to make do with an FZR750....not too bad an option !

[Drunken Monkey]

They only test to make sure it works not that its accurate.

bwahahaha, not even...

I used to have an RS Legacy with a busted speedo cable. Got 2 WOFs with the following info on the top of the page:

Make: subaru Model: legacy
kms last check: 109018
kms this check: 109018

TWICE. And the speedo needle was stuck on 20km/h. The address field indicated I lived more than a couple hundred meters away...

They just check that you have a speedo, not it's current working state.

This was a VTNZ testing station too.

[Drunken Monkey]

Many of the rolling road brake testers will give a speed reading at WOF stations. Or check your speed against one of the cops radar trailers.
The cops aren't entirely stupid either, they know that nearly all speedos on standard vehicles read fast.

True, but how many cars are near new and on factory wheels and standard tyre pressures. I agree in general if your speedo is reading 100, you're probably doing less, but it's not always the case - and there's your defense in court.

[wkid_one]

I've also done 70kph through the air - but I was about 10 feet away from my speedo at the time so I couldn't tell you what speed the bike was doing at the time.

[Coldkiwi]

Just a quick "RESPECT" to Lou girardin for his excellent letter on speed camera research and results.
Just been reading the Jan issue of North and South and Lou's letter appeared at a very timely point after some reply's from LTSA and prof whatsit at monash Uni. Very well balanced and agreed with another well written letter penned by some doctors. And besides, N&S gave him letter of the Month award and a flashy pen (can it wash dishes too lou? the quoted price is flippin high!)

[jrandom]

And I 've done the Napier Taupo road a few times and never seen a single cop (although admittedly not at the height of the holiday season)

Hmmmph.

Last time I was going that way (in the c*r, October last year IIRC) there was an HP car with hairdryer out parked up beside the southbound lane about 10kms out of Taupo, in the straight bits. Presumably he thought to catch a few unwary folk breathing sighs of relief at getting off SH1. Hah.

Never seen one on that road otherwise, though. Certainly there's nowhere much for them to lurk in the southern, more twisty half, which is the fun part anyway.

I suppose the corollary is that there's nowhere to hide if you *do* get pinged and chased. Imagine doing a runner out of Taupo, losing the cop and getting pulled over 100kms later in Eskdale by some chap who'd just finished his bag of doughnuts after waiting half an hour for you to turn up...

[SPman]

Imagine doing a runner out of Taupo, losing the cop and getting pulled over 100kms later in Eskdale by some chap who'd just finished his bag of doughnuts after waiting half an hour for you to turn up...
Wouldn't the cop who pinged/chased you have to keep driving to personally book you even though you got stopped by an other? Fun for him :yes:

[spudchucka]

Wouldn't the cop who pinged/chased you have to keep driving to personally book you even though you got stopped by an other? Fun for him :yes:

The second cop would probably just obtain the drivers details and forward them to the first cop who would issue whatever notices were applicable and post them to the driver.

If the driver wanted to dispute the matter he / she could take it to Court as is their right.

[Lou Girardin]

Just a quick "RESPECT" to Lou girardin for his excellent letter on speed camera research and results.
Just been reading the Jan issue of North and South and Lou's letter appeared at a very timely point after some reply's from LTSA and prof whatsit at monash Uni. Very well balanced and agreed with another well written letter penned by some doctors. And besides, N&S gave him letter of the Month award and a flashy pen (can it wash dishes too lou? the quoted price is flippin high!)

Thanks for that, I actually thought the Doctors letter was better. But now I've got a flash pen to write my chicken scrawl with. Buggered if I can see $800 odd bucks worth in it though.
Lou

[onewheel]

hows it goin

need for speed, i enjoy speed on the odd back road but yeah , stunts are the way to go, wheelies, stoppies, burnouts etc etc.

so for the speed all good but no skill is involved in a twist of a wrist .

RIDE OR DIE

[Motu]

Yeah I do stunts,some of them are pretty impressive,everyone cheers and claps - trouble is I can't do them on purpose...they just kinda happen,yknow? I like my bars bent,I'm used to it...and if they are already bent,they won't bend again.Black paints fine,I like it.

[moko]

we`ve been "promised" a new kind in the U.K.,they read your number plate and the bastard things have a mate down the road that also reads your plate and they get your average speed.Also newer ones are already using digital technology so no need for film and when you get nicked they tell the computer in Swansea which prints out your summons automatically.Getting so anything with a bit of poke will be a waste of time,I`ll probably go back to a trail bike next time.Over here they hardly ever go off-road but are ironically popular because they`re great in town traffic and on the shit roads we cant afford to repair because our bastard government are more interested in bombing other countries than fixing this one up.

[sAsLEX]

Thanks for that, I actually thought the Doctors letter was better. But now I've got a flash pen to write my chicken scrawl with. Buggered if I can see $800 odd bucks worth in it though.
Lou

Can you post a copy of your letter up here??

[riffer]

Can you post a copy of your letter up here??
Yes, I'd like to see it too, thanks, Lou..

[SPman]

......
so for the speed all good but no skill is involved in a twist of a wrist .

Ooooooohhhhh! Depends where, you're twisting yer wrist.:D

[Motoracer]

Onewheel, you got a 02 R1 and a couple of other cool bikes and your only 17!!! What gives?? How??? I am soo jelouse :(

Edit: Actually n/m about the questions, I was just thinking out loud. Its non of my business "how" or wat ever. If you have them, good on you.

[Lou Girardin]

I'll try and find it guys.
Lou

[Lou Girardin]

This was partly in response to John Banks calling MOT cops 'brownshirts'. OK, here goes.
I was an MOT cop, one of John Banks "brownshirts". On that subject, if we were brownshirts, the current crop of traffic police are fully fledged SS stormtroops. We were models of reasonableness by comparison, but that's beside the point.
The LTSA and Police are now captives to a policing policy that is failing here and in Victoria. They have staked their careers on reducing the road toll and their policies have produced a revenue stream that no Government will forego, unless it loses them votes.
Equally, they will not consider any research indicating an alternative approach, e.g. improved driver training, because that would be an admission of failure. (It'll cost more too!)
Italy, for example, is increasing it's autostrada limits from 130km/h to 150km/h, based on research showing that drivers stay more alert at the higher speed. Their road toll is lower than ours; do they know something we don't?
The Police and LTSA continue to produce spurious surveys and statistics purporting to show strong public support for their policies. After years of intensive ad campaigns bordering on propaganda, I'm not surprised at the results. But surveys of people hearing only one side of the story are worthless, hence the value of your article.
The public, however, should be more concerned at the activities of the Highway Patrol. Camera only cost us cash, the don't inflict demerit points. The patrols can cost us our licences as well. In their efforts to achieve the three tickets per hour minimum, these Officers target passing lanes and other multi-lane roads where driver do accelerate to pass slower vehicles. It's like shooting fish in a barrel, and we've all seen the driver who takes a whole passing lane to pass one car because he doesn't want to exceed 100km/h.
Another casualty of the rabid fixation on speed, is the neglect of other offences. Vehicle positioning offences, e.g. failing to keep left, are the biggest killer on our roads. Yet, there is next to no enforecment of them. Too hard to detect and not lucrative enough. As for intersection enforcement, well who stops for a red light now?
The fact is, we're being conned. The road toll has been falling for 20 years, but it's only in the last four years that this present regime has been persecuting us at the current level. Then they have the nerve to claim credit for the fall in the toll, when it's clearly due to safer cars, better emergency medical treatment and improved roads.
This year has seen the road toll rise, despite their efforts. If they can take credit for a drop in the road toll, they should take responsibilty for the increase. Do the honourable thing and resign. They failed.
Lou

[SPman]

Very well put! :2thumbsup:

[sAsLEX]

A very good read

[Big Dog]

Well done.

Incredibly unbiased given the topic.

In an article on tv regarding the road toll they said that average road speed is up on ten years ago, so how effective are the "taxes?"

[MikeL]

Good letter, Lou. I suspect that many of the rank and file in the Police would privately agree with your analysis. In the upper echelons and in the LTSA of course they can't agree, because they have staked too much on present policy. Being one or more steps removed from the actual job of policing the regulations they can ignore the injustice inherent in the present system and rationalize their position by appealing to public opinion which, as you have pointed out, they have carefully manipulated through advertising campaigns that Goebbels would have been proud of.
It's all part of a broader pattern, and the interesting question is whether the commonsense, healthy scepticism and sense of fair play that have always been part of the N.Z. character will be able to withstand this systematic onslaught by the totalitarian forces of a faceless bureaucracy characterised by short-term goals, cynical revenue-earning, exploitation, hidden corruption and political expediency.
Just how many sheep do we have in this country??

[speedpro]

One thing which I've started to suspect as well is that the speed of some of the accidents that are reported seem a bit slow. You know the sort of thing - Subaru Impreza, police chase for a mile, Impreza hits pole, engine completely ripped out, everyone killed, reported speeds "approaching" 140KmH. And of course the chase was called off 40seconds before the crash - "yeah right" as the ad says.

Anyone who has ever driven one of these things would know that it would have been doing over 200KmH, assuming it was de-speedlimited, and if not then 185KmH.

Why would they bother doing that?? I think they do it to justify the speeding enforcement. If they advertised that the crash occurred at 200+ most people would think that going that fast doesn't have any connection with the speed they travel at. 140KmH however is only 20+KmH or so more than the speed quite a few people travel on the open road or motorway and so therefore has some relevance to them and therefore so does the LTSA propoganda.

I've got some "facts" about bread at work I'll post tomorrow, which if the LTSA was the BSA they could have a field day with.

I just remembered some years ago a woman I knew was married to one of the policy makers or some such at the LTSA. He went to Australia to witness some crash testing. When he got back he drove the reasonably late model Toyota they had to the dealer and swapped it for a Volvo. He also never EVER exceeded 70KmH on the open road and NEVER pulled over to allow following traffic to pass. If by some miracle he actually caught up to someone on the open road he would never overtake. As far as I know he's still there coming up with clever ideas for reducing the road toll. Which could explain a lot.

[Motu]

Yeah,I was a bit dubious about the recent chase where the Jap import took out the Chev pickup in Stodard rd Mt Roskill.I know SUVs don't do well in crash tests,but for a passenger car to kill the 2 occupants I think it would have to be moving a tad more then what was reported (forgotten that bit).

[Lou Girardin]

I think there's two trends apparent now. One is to blame every possible accident on excess speed. The other is, as has been said, to underestimate the very high speeds.
Although, I have to say that even an STi or Evo still needs 400 metres to get to 165 - 170 km/h. A bit snail-like compared to bikes.
Lou

[speedpro]

As mentioned, here's the facts on Bread. This is courtesy of the website mototuneusa, I hope he doesn't mind.

Did you know:
1) More than 98 percent of convicted criminals are bread eaters!
2) Exactly half of all children who grow up in bread - eating households score in the bottom 50% on standardized IQ tests!
3) In the 19th century, when virtually all bread was baked in the home, the average life expectancy was less than 55 years; infant mortality rates were unacceptably high; many women died in childbirth; and diseases such as typhoid, scarlet fever, smallpox and influenza ravaged entire nations!
4) Statistics show that more than 75 % of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread!
5) Bread is made from a substance called "dough." Researchers have proven that as little as one pound of dough can choke a large animal like a horse. The average person eats more bread than that in one month!
6) Bread is known to be extremely addictive. Subjects deprived of bread and given only water actually begged for bread after just two days!
7) Bread is a "gateway" food item, which usually leads to such items as butter, jam, peanut butter and even ... bacon !
8) Bread has been proven to kill. Scientists have now uncovered alarming evidence that 100% of the people who eat bread will eventually die!
9) Unattended newborn babies can choke on bread!
10) Bread is baked at temperatures as high as 425 degrees Fahrenheit! Don't laugh...that kind of heat can kill a full grown adult in less than five minutes.
11) 96 % of cancer victims eventually admit that they've eaten bread!
12) Sadly, 9 out of 10 bread eaters are unable to distinguish between significant scientific fact and meaningless statistical babbling.

1-11 are of course all true
12 applies to Joe Public and the LTSA data

[Coldkiwi]

good one speedpro! maybe you oughta forward that to the herald

[Dave]

Think about this,
If when they set the limit at 100, they thought that it was a safe speed, then now they think that 80 would be safer, are they then liable for all the deaths that occured in the 80-100k/h range because they said it was a safe speed to travel at?

[SPman]

But before that it was 80,and if they want to they could put it up to 200 and people would then deem that "safe" (coz its allowed!)
What is safe and what is legal are 2 different things which are sadle confused by the powers that be, the media and many of Jor public!